07 Dec 2023

As part of their cultural exchange programme, a team of German volunteers has collaborated with Thari E Ntsho to foster and stimulate a culture of reading and writing among young people.

Thari E Ntsho is a Maun-based NGO, which was established by Bessie Head literature award winner, Ms Bontekanye Botumile, and it focuses on cultural preservation, environmental conservation, youth empowerment and story-telling.

The partnership dates back to 2018 as the two entities worked on community empowerment projects and the Germans have also been working on a reading and writing programme with out-of-school youth and some school going pupils to enhance their literacy skills.

Ms Botumile told BOPA that a team of Germans was in Maun to support her reading programme. She said the team had diversified the programme by introducing German language and culture to young readers. This created a platform for cultural exchange, friendships and peer mentoring.

She said the reading programme  unveiled the contribution that out-of-school youth could make in reducing inter-generational vulnerability particularly in literacy.

Over the years, she said,  literacy levels had declined because public schools were challenged with large classes and pupils had different reading and writing levels.

Some families could not afford tutors to enhance their children’s reading and writing skills. The programme to bridge the gap. They operated at the grass-roots level and they strive to align their activities with national and international initiatives.

Ms Botumile revealed that children’s literacy was her priority, noting that she had collaborated with government departments and other organisations such as Poetavango and Gaborone Book Festival to cultivate a reading culture among children. ENDS